After Claire
by Stormyskies89
Summary: 10 years after 9/11 Mac faces losing his new hope in a shooting.


**Title:** After Claire

**Summary:** 10 years after losing Claire to 9/11, Mac finds himself in danger of losing another. His new love. Isabella Messer.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own CSI: NY.

**A/N:** NO FLAMES! Not accepted.

**2****nd**** A/N:** I know that Mac is probably old enough to be Danny's father, so it seems logical that he would not date Danny's little sister, but it is fiction.

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><p>Detective McKenna Boyd Taylor II sat bolt upright in bed, sweat clinging to him as he woke from the dream. It had been that day all over again. 911 had plagued him almost as long as the bashing of Will had. As he sat there breathing hard, he heard her stir beside him. She propped herself up on her elbows.

"Mac? What is it?" She asked he didn't respond at first, so she sat up and put her hand on his shoulder; her hand was cool on his shoulder.

"9/11." He whispered; she ran her hand over his shoulder and into his short hair. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"I know Mac, I know." It was September 11th today and it always reminded him of his first wife, Claire. His first love. She was flattered every time Mac accidentally called her 'Claire'. She knew how much he'd loved Claire and how much he loved her. She knew you could never forget your first love. She remembered how her first love had left her for someone else Freshman Year. As if the Staten Island native wasn't good enough for him. She rubbed her hand in small circle on his back.

"Come on. It's 2am. You can get a few more hours of sleep yet." She whispered, he laid back down next to her and pulled her in close, as if her closeness made him forget.

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><p>He looked down at her as she lay asleep on his chest. The frown lines on her face were gone and she looked so at peace, as if nothing could touch her. He gently moved so he could lift her up and he carried her, Bridal style to their bedroom, where he slowly put her to bed. She was already in her pyjamas. All he had to do was put her down and cover her up. He loved her just as much as he had Claire. No one could replace Claire, he knew that and so did she. She never tried to replace Claire. She was just as loving as Claire had been, not as pushy about, say, going to the Opera or anything, but she pushed him to be better, to do better. She challenged him. That was something Claire never did.<p>

As Mac got ready for bed he thought over things. He thought for years that he had lost everything in 9/11 then came Peyton, she made the hurt go away some, but never made him 'whole' then when she stayed in London it hurt again and the pain from losing Claire came back.

Then he met the young Ballistics expert from Staten Island that Chief Sinclair thought he could use as an extra pair of hands. She was skilled in all areas but Ballistics was her speciality. She had long mahogany hair and dark brown eyes. Claire's eyes had been hazel and she'd had pale brown hair. Mac had sometimes envisioned the kids he and Claire would have. Her hair, his eyes. Claire would never let them join the NYPD.

He crawled into bed beside her and let her snuggle in close to him. She would never sleep too far away from him. She hated it when he worked late. Before he met her he may have worked late nights or not have slept as well as he could have, he was sleeping every night and he was sleeping well. Today had been about 9/11 and he'd had some tough times. But she was always there for a hand to hold, a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen. Mac was undoubtedly in love. He hadn't been able to admit it for a long time with Claire but this time he'd noticed it in the first month he'd known her.

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><p>She was Isabella Messer. Danny Messer's little sister. She had always been protected by Danny when they were little. An abusive-when-drunk father made Danny very protective of his sister. She was Danny's pride and joy. His Princess (until Lucy came along that is "guess I have to give up the princess title right?") She was only 3 years younger than Danny and in her 30s but she was still a lot younger than Mac. He had told her of the implications and she had laughed and told him that love had no age. He had agreed several weeks later. Mac and Isabella share Mac's apartment in Manhattan, although the apartment was hardly slept in as Mac suffered chronic insomnia after Claire's death, somehow Isabella's presence let him sleep at night. When she cuddled into his side, like Claire used to, was soothing in a way that no one else could ever replicate.<p>

So it was this day while she was on a crime scene with Hawkes and Lindsay that it happened. Three things happened terribly fast. A gunshot rang out, Lindsay screamed and Isabella fell to her knees pain searing through her right shoulder. The last thing Isabella heard before she blacked out was Hawkes telling her she was going to be okay.

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><p>"Is she gonna be okay?" Mac asked one of the doctors. The Doctor seemed surprised at the question but he had been looking after Isabella.<p>

"Isabella will be just fine, sir. Are you a relative?" The Doctor said.

"I'm her partner." He said; the doctor seemed to understand that Mac did not mean professionally.

"She is asleep at the moment, sir. She'll be moved to recovery soon." He said and gave Mac an encouraging smile. Mac stood outside watching Isabella until the nurses came to move her into recovery. They let him in to sit with her when she was settled in recovery. One nurse asked Mac if he wanted anything.

"No, thank-you." He said, she smiled kindly and turned to leave.

"Sir?" Mac looked up at her, "I'm sure she will be fine. Nothing serious." She smiled. Mac believed her but wanted to hear Isabella's laugh again, her voice, see her eyes sparkle as she teased Danny and also hear her say his name. The way she said it just made him feel untouchable, made him feel as if he was central to her world. Something that he hadn't felt in a very long time.

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><p>When Isabella woke up she knew where she was even with her eyes closed, the smell gave it away. Sanitation and disinfectant assaulted her sense of smell; she fought the urge to wrinkle her nose at the smell. She could hear voices.<p>

"She hasn't woken up yet." Mac's voice said. Isabella felt pain slice through her shoulder. She knew she'd been shot and damn it hurt.

"I'm sure it won't be long, Mac. If she'd anything like Danny, she's tough." Stella's voice replied. Isabella could almost see the hopeless look on Mac's face and the compassion on Stella's. She wanted to say something, anything, but her throat was dry and she had yet to open her eyes.

"I'll get you a coffee, and I'll give Danny a call. See if he's up to coming in." Mac must have nodded because the door opened then closed again. Isabella let out a soft moan and carefully blinked her eyes open letting them adjust to the bright white light.

"Isabella?" Mac was by her side in a second, his hand grasping her's. She smiled as her eyes fixed on Mac. She was going to be ok. She knew she was, her shoulder hurt like a bitch, but she knew she was gonna be fine. Mac was there and that was all that mattered at the moment.

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><p><strong>4 Weeks Later<strong>

Mac looked up when the door of the Hospital room opened. Isabella was sleeping.

"Hey Danny." He said.

"Hey." The Italian replied, "she ready to get out?"

"Climbing the walls." Mac said smiling.

"Yeah…I spoke to her doctor. He said that she can be released tomorrow afternoon." As Danny spoke his eyes fixed on his sister who was stirring at the sound of a new voice.

"Danny." She smiled when her eyes fixed on her brother.

"Hey there Baby Girl. How you feeling?" He asked, running his hand over her forehead to push some stay hairs back from her face.

"Peachy. Ready to get outta here." She replied.

"Yeah tomorrow afternoon at this moment. But I'm guessing that's the latest. You might be out tomorrow morning. Who knows?" Danny smiled, it had been his job to protect her when they were kids and now it was just the same. He'd been 3 when she was brought into the world. He had sworn to himself and his mother, when Bella started to attend a New York University, that he would always protect her. He had made that promise. Now he had the help of an ex-marine and several cops. He had a family and a little girl to protect. But his sister had come first for most of their lives. Danny looked back at the pair after he left the room and he smiled when he saw Mac kiss the back of his sister's hand. Somehow he knew that his job as Bella's protector was over and she didn't need Danny anymore. But that was okay by him. He had other things to take care of now. Now it was Mac's turn to take care of her. And somehow Danny knew he'd never have to question it. Mac would always take care of Bella.

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><p>"Danny?" The blond looked up and smiled as he spotted Isabella standing in the doorway of the lab, her left hand drumming on the doorframe. Something flashed in the light.<p>

"Is that a…" He began but stopped as she glanced at her hand, she smiled.

"An engagement ring? Yeah. Mac asked me last night." She said, Danny grabbed her in a hug and resisted the urge to spin her around.

"Let's see it, come on." She held out her hand for her brother to see, she hadn't thought that boys were just as interested as girls in engagement rings.

"Lindsay actually screamed when I told her, as did Stella and even Adam was excited." Isabella said as Danny lifted his gaze from the ring to her.

"I'm happy for you Belle. You're the After Claire, but that doesn't matter. You make Mac happy. And that's good because if he's happy it's easier when I ask for a raise." Isabella laughed. Just like Danny. She rolled her eyes and left to find her fiancée.

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><p>Review please! The next Story to be poasted "Protect Her" is an IsabellaAdam story and there is Italian included, so I will try my best to translate it but if anyone who actually speaks it sees mistakes please correct me.


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